Bridging global and local: exploring glocal learning contexts in an adult ESL classroom

The integration of the ‘glocal’ concept, defined as ‘the unity of the local within the global framework’, has garnered increased attention in language education in our multilingual and multicultural world (Tulgar 2019, 746). However, the criteria for glocal learning contexts (GLCs) are frequently ambiguous in current research. This study seeks to address this gap by employing the original ‘three GLevels’ to identify GLCs and examine their integration in adult ESL settings. Conducted as a longitudinal case study at a further education college in London, the research utilised classroom observations, document analysis, diaries, and interviews to detect glocal characteristics in an adult ESL classroom. Three core glocal affordances were further derived from a sociocultural perspective: (1) the utilisation of glocal artifacts, equipping learners with knowledge and tools to engage in meaningful glocal discussions; (2) the establishment of a glocal communities of practice (CoP), enabling seamless collaboration by lowering barriers to full participation as newcomers; and (3) the promotion of glocal agency, potentially empowering learners to take local action for global betterment. It is argued that by deliberately incorporating these affordances in the classroom, an enriched GLC can be created that supports language development and cultivates globally aware, locally rooted individuals.